Shortcuts
by Anzhela D Asura
Summary: "Use the minimum required energy to complete a task. In other words, take shortcuts." Unfortunately, the Straw Hat crew realise a little too late that those who take Shortcuts always end up on top.


**Shortcuts**

* * *

This was it.

Under a year sailing through the Grand Line, two years training, another year and a half on New World...

They had made it.

Sanji bought out nine dishes and a bottle of sake, kicking the door closed behind him with ease.

The crew gathered, eagerly watching Sanji pour the rice-wine, every so often glancing at the fast-approaching island with anticipation.

One by one, they took a dish, holding it high and proclaiming their toasts.

"To Laboon!"

"To Tom-san!"

"To Ohara!"

"To Dr Hiruluk!"

"To Zeff!"

"To Bell-mère!"

"To Yasopp!"

"To Kuina!"

"TO MEAT!"

The crew glanced at Luffy, some rolling their eyes in exasperation.

Luffy hesitated, before breaking into a wide grin.

"To Shanks. And to us!" he shouted, holding his infamous straw hat up high.

They tipped back their glasses, slamming their dish back on the tray as they finished.

"Ah! The flavour has set alight my taste-buds - not that I have a tongue, because I'm a skeleton! Yohohohoho!"

The crew laughed with him, full of excitement, relief and adrenaline.

The end of one journey, the start of another...

The nine gathered by the side, a glowing fog shielding Raftel from their view.

Setting his straw hat back on his head with an air of solemnity, he lowered himself onto the shore of Raftel.

The ground here was hard underfoot.

Nami crouched down, fingers running over the surface, before emitting a large squeak.

"Nami-swan? Is there something wrong?" Sanji questioned worriedly.

Nami plucked something out of the ground, and held it aloft for them to see.

It was a ruby, at least the size of a fist, having been carelessly embedded in the ground.

Robin crouched to join the ecstatic navigator, rubbing the fine soil between her fingers and sweeping her eyes over the countless precious jewels in the earth.

"This place," Nami spoke in a hushed whisper, "Please Luffy, please can we stay here?"

Luffy pouted, "We haven't found any meat yet," he complained, apparently dismissing the jewels worth billions of beli that were tossed away like scraps of trash.

Franky interrupted Nami before she started ranting, "Oi, guys. Look over here."

Cautiously, they walked further into the mist, to see gigantic trees stretching up into the sky.

"Incredible," mused Robin, "These must have been here for thousands of years."

Zoro followed Chopper, having been given strict orders to stay within two meters of the doctor at ALL times. Tch, wasn't his fault that all these idiots get lost all the time.

Usopp stood half an inch behind Sanji at all times, peeking out over the cook's shoulder with Kabuto clenched in his fist.

The crew advanced, Zoro hacking through the thick foliage with Sandai Kitetsu and Luffy charging straight through as fast as he can.

They walked for perhaps half an hour, stopping on the way for Chopper to collect samples of the plants and Sanji examine a potential source of dinner.

Eventually, they came into a clearing, the tall trees just forming a circle.

Luffy could see a shape in the mist, something moving. It was shaped like... a person?

The captain squinted before Nami helpfully used her Clima Tact to clear the fog.

The Strawhats stared in wonder as the mist started to dissipate, what wonders may lie beneath? And just who was this mysterious figure.

Slowly, their eyes widened with shock.

Crocodile, former Shichibukai and Mr. 0 of the Baroque Works corporation, sat slouched in a chair made of pure gold, hair oiled back and eyes half-open.

Either side of his 'throne' were two young women, barely older than eighteen who were dressed VERY inappropriately for such cold weather. Or any weather.

Daz Bones was sat cross-legged on the ground a few feet in front, tossing a coin up and down.

And covering the whole clearing, three foot deep and up to Crocodile's knees was treasure.

Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, jade, you name it, it was there.

The Straw Hats stood completely dumbstruck, Nami not even yet processing the valuable stones and metal.

"H-how?" Luffy gasped, finding his tongue.

"I was honestly expecting you a lot earlier, Straw Hat. I've been here for three and a half years, y'know," Crocodile drawled smoothly.

"But... that's not..." Luffy trailed off.

"Possible? I_ am_ a Logia, all I had to do was turn into sand and fly over the Red Line. I'm surprised no one thought of it, to be truthful."

The crew continued to gape.

Crocodile sighed.

"Honestly, Straw Hat. Haven't you ever heard of 'Shortcuts'?"

* * *

**A/N: Well, ****_obviously_**** it was Crocodile...**

**This is seriously a question I have been wanting to ask for ages. Marco's a blue phoenix, right? Well why doesn't he just ****_fly over the Red Line and Calm Belt to get to Raftel_****? Why don't the marines use Seastone to sail over the Calm Belt to Raftel? I mean, Marco doesn't care for being Pirate King, but plenty of Logias do. And the Marines could destroy the Pirate Age once and for all! **

**Seriously, if anyone can answer why they don't fly over, I will be SO happy...**

**I do not own One Piece.**

**Anzhela D Asura**


End file.
